Book Three: Bonds
by Uzumaki Fenix
Summary: Beary and Jewel, and Ted and Jade now go through new trials as they learn the meaning behind the Bond. The Bears must try to come together again as a family after tragedy strikes on the highway. How will the family cope when three of their own are killed? And with Thrasher working behind the scenes, who knows what will happen? [full summary inside] [guest appearance from TMNT!]
1. Introduction

**Hello again! Fenix here! I now bring you the THIRD book in my **_Country Bears_** fanfiction series. There are many more to come.**

**This is "**_Book Three: Bonds_**", part two of the "**_Keeper of the Stars_**" trilogy. I know you have waited for this, and I am happy to present it. The first chapter will start off with what the **_Bears_** have been doing since you last saw them. There will also be a few guest stars. **

**I do not own the Country Bears. I do own the following:**

_Jewel O'Neal Taylor; Tasha Stone; James Stone; Jordan Stone;_

_Erin Stone; Eric Tennessee Taylor; Kaspian Hathworth;_

_Kenya Hathworth; Lei Williams Claybourne; Derek Claybourne; _

_Faye Tality; Roxi Starr; Josh Thimple; _

_Zak O'Neal; Esmeralda Belleo; Helen Taylor_

**And any other characters you do not recognize from the movie. :) [**note**: **_Jade_** and **_Ray Falco_** belong to a friend and I am using them with permission.]**

**This story shall continue along the lines of **_**Keeper of the Stars**_**, but not as severe. **

Disclaimer**: I do not own The Country Bears or TMNT**

**Character ****Ages**

_**Alan "Big Al" Williams Hathworth**__—_62_  
__**Lei Claybourne**__—_62_  
__**Derek**__**Claybourne**__—_62_  
__**Raymond**__**"Ray" Falco**__—_53_  
__**Faye Tality**__—_52_  
__**Henry Dixon**__**Taylor**__—_52_  
__**Ted Bedderhead**__—_47_  
__**Fred Bedderhead**__—_46_  
__**Tennessee O'Neal**__—_45_  
__**Trixie O'Neal**__—_44  
_**Zeb**__**Zoober**__—_43_  
__**Jade Falco**__—_35_  
__**Méngméng Chūntiān [Mysty Springs]**__—_33_  
__**Kaspian Hathworth**__—_25_  
__**Kenya Hathworth**__—_23_  
__**Dexter "Dex" Barringto**__n—_18  
_**Roxanne**__**"Roxi" Starr Barrington**__—_18_  
__**Jewel O'Neal Taylor**__—_13_  
__**Beary Barrington-Taylor**__—_13_  
__**Erik Tennessee Taylor**__—_infant_  
__**Zak O'Neal**__—_infant

**And we begin...**

**Summary****: **_Beary and Jewel, and Ted and Jade now go through new trials as they learn the meaning behind the Bond. The Bears must try to come together again as a family after tragedy strikes on the highway. How will the family cope when three of their own are killed? And with Thrasher working behind the scenes, who knows what will happen? There's even a surprise for one of our youngest characters as a pretty face catches his eye..._


	2. Prologue

.~*Prologue*~.

Thrasher stalked through his new base angrily. No sooner than five hours after he had moved out of his base in Utah into his new one in Nevada, he had been asked to join in a slave fight by the beautiful Esmeralda Belleo, a forty-year-old polar bear. She was one of his clients. She didn't buy any slaves, though, but she did have a few on hold with him only for fights.

The reason he had moved was because after Jewel, Dex, and Roxi had escaped, he had been forced to evacuate his long-time home because he knew an army was on their way up the mountain to free his slaves and arrest him. Thrasher had taken only a few of his guards, Lei, Derek, Beary, and his breeding females and their new cubs with him in the cargo plane. He'd stuffed them in cages and shipped them out.

The rest of his slaves, he'd had killed to prevent them from talking. The staff he had there, at least the ones he didn't take with him—which was most of them—he'd killed. The base, however, he had left alone. He wanted the FBI to see just what he could do. He had watched through a live camera feed as the FBI trickled in and after about an hour, he finally punched in the key code and set off the bombs.

After that, he just watched the news for the story of all the FBI, police officers, firefighters, and others he had killed. Oh, it made him feel great. Almost fifty of them. Excellent.

Cady, however, he had left behind for her father to take back. He'd even sent the FBI a little video of her punishment. He knew full well she had been spilling secrets with the FBI, specifically an agent Kaspian. Yes, he had an agent on the inside. Why wouldn't he have one? Best to have spies everywhere.

Back to the fight. Esmeralda had shown up and made a bet with him. Her best fighter against his. Winner takes the slave/fighter of choice home with them. He had agreed, confident he would win. To his surprise, that was not the case. She had won and after seeing all his slaves, chose the worst possible one.

Beary Taylor.

Now that he'd lost his boy-toy, he was furious. He hadn't planned on using Beary to breed anymore, because he'd been unhappy with the stock he'd gotten from him. The cubs were all small and all mixed up.

After he'd lost Beary, he went on a rampage and killed all but five of his female breeders, leaving over two dozen cubs for them to care for. He warned them that if he lost any of the cubs, they would suffer for it.

But now, Thrasher had thought of a plan. He would get Esmeralda back, that was for sure, but he would let Beary go. He would get a hold of him eventually. Half the fun was tracking him down. However, he had an old friend to visit…

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

The four hundred pound, six foot seven inch tall bear hopped out of his maroon Mercedes in front of the two-story white Victorian styled house. Toys littered the front lawn. Bicycles lay abandoned on the path leading to the wrap-around porch, glistening with the early morning dew reflected by the sun rising over the treetops between the houses behind him.

Kids... and from the looks of things, quite a few of them. This was good. Meant he had more leverage.

The grizzly sat on the porch swing, knowing his target would be out soon to take his kids out to the school bus. All he had to do was wait.

Soon enough, the house came alive with the shouting of children fighting over the bathroom and who got the best piece of bacon. After a few minutes, he saw the yellow bus pull up in front and honk its horn. Immediately, the front door burst open and more than eight children, both human and bear, raced out of the house, followed by a tall, lean, auburn male bear wearing a pair of jeans and a light blue plaid shirt. He held a young—too young for school—she-panda in his arms, and they both waved the kids off.

"Be good!" the older male called with a smile, watching the youngsters board the bus. Once the bus had pulled away, the auburn bear turned and froze upon seeing the unexpected visitor on the swing.

"Hello, Jason," the grizzly said coolly, getting up.

"M-Master... Th-Thrasher," Jason Claybourne whispered, holding the she-panda cub tightly, fearing for her safety. How did Thrasher find him? Why did he find him after all this time? What did he want? Knowing Thrasher, it was nothing good.

"Well, aren't ya gonna invite me in?"

Jason didn't want to, but he feared what his old master would do to him should he refuse. "Y-Yes... C-Come on in," he stammered quietly, not meeting the grizzly's eyes. He wandered inside, holding the door open and shutting it once Thrasher came in.

Thrasher looked around the interior of the home. The walls were painted a light blue. There was no set theme to the furniture, so everything was sort of mix-matched. He sat down on a black-and-white plaid armchair littered with stains from food and drink.

Jason set the little she-panda in her playpen by the couch, which he then sat upon.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to speak first. Finally, Jason had to ask what the grizzly wanted.

"Ya are gonna do me a favor. There is a bear cub on the way, and ya are gonna make his life miserable. Ya will dominate him, abuse him... Soon enough, the other kids will pick it up, and things will just progress from there."

"NO!" Jason snarled. "I love kids and I will not hurt them the way you hurt me!"

Thrasher remained calm and went on, as if Jason's protest never happened. "Ya will do these things if ya want to protect them."

The thirty-five-year-old stiffened. "W-What?"

"Surely ya don't want the lil darlin's hurt by me. And ya know I'm brutal."

Jason fought back the memories of his time with Thrasher. "Why are you making me do this...?"

"Because yer still my slave. I don't care what my 'father' said. If ya do this... push the cub known as Beary far enough that he will kill himself... and then take this she-bear-" he held out a picture "-as yer mate and breed, I will leave ya and yer little family alone."

The auburn bear took the picture and studied it. The all-black she-bear with purple hair and emerald eyes stared back at him. She was around his age and very pleasant to look at.

"Ya will start yer attacks when this boy-" he gave Jason another picture "-arrives. No sooner." He got up. "Do not fail me... or else." Thrasher looked at the pictures of the foster kids on the wall and grinned darkly. He then took his leave.

Jason trembled slightly at the threat to his kids. He looked down at the picture of the light brown, white faced cub that was obviously laughing at something. "Beary... To protect my kids, I will put you through hell..."

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Driving a sleek navy blue SUV with tinted windows, Josh Thimple blasted heavy metal out of his speakers. His brow furrowed. "Hmph. Sooner or later, Beary Barrington or Beary Taylor, whatever the frick it is, will be gone. Good. About damn time. Little bastard was like frickin Lazarus, always coming back from the dead or something. Whatever."

He rolled his eyes and flipped off the radio for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. For the past two years, Beary the dumbass cub had been his main focus. Ever since the death of his father. The little bastard had murdered him.

The thought of his father angered him further. They had never gotten along very well, with his father sending him to boarding school at an early age, not even letting him come home for his mother's funeral. He hated him, but he was still his father. Therefore, since Beary had effectively made him an orphan, he had to die as well. All his father's accounts had been suspended and Josh had no trust fund left to support him and his family.

As for the Barringtons… What were they doing with that little freak anyway? Why would they want a shedding creature in their home anyway? He should be out in the forest, fending for himself. He was an animal and that was it. How they could consider him a son was illogical. Simply disturbing. What on earth had they been thinking? They were human! Far above the animal class.

As far as he was concerned, they deserved death.

He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove the speed limit, waiting for his target to appear. He glanced at the picture of the red van that he had taped to the dashboard. It was the Barrington family van, and would soon be coming along.

"They need to hurry up," he muttered, barely hearing his own voice over the radio.

Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he turned down the radio and pulled out the device. "Talk to me."

"_I spotted them leaving the airport. The two cubs are in the van with the humans. The two adult bears are in the corvette. I did as you asked to all the vehicles in the car rental._" It was his wife, Eliza.

"Good girl. It was a brilliant idea getting in there and taking the place of one of the newbie employees. This will work out perfectly. I'll see you at home." He hung up and tossed the phone in the passenger seat. He turned up the volume and floored it.

Spotting the red van and the green corvette that followed, Josh smirked. It had only taken a few minutes for him to catch up. "There you are…" He began to speed up after them, only to be cut off by a fast-moving semi carrying hundreds of long metal rods. The rods didn't seem to be held down securely, and were buckling slightly. Should the driver suddenly stop, it would probably be a disaster.

At first, he was going to drive up and flip the driver off, but then an idea formed in his mind. He knew what to do now. This would be glorious.

He sped up, weaving his way through traffic. He made sure to push certain cars in certain places, finally coming up on a red van which was beside the semi. Smirking, he pulled up alongside them and with a war cry, slammed the side of his car against the van, which in turn hit the semi cab.

The semi driver swerved, but couldn't avoid hitting the red van as his vehicle sent it rolling after striking it, nearly running it over. The driver slammed on the brakes, his cab swerving to the side. For the briefest of moments, he thought things couldn't get any worse. Then he heard the snapping of the safety binds and the sickening crash of hundreds of metal rods surging forward from the force of impact… right through the windshield of the van.

Josh smirked and continued driving, ditching his vehicle a half hour later on a side road. He wiped it clear of fingerprints. He grabbed his phone and left. It was stolen anyway. He didn't need it any longer.

Book Three  
.~*Bonds*~.


	3. Chapter One

**Sorry for being late. My internet went down and I couldn't upload. But here's chapter one! Read and review! I hope you like the new character!**

* * *

.~*Chapter One*~.

_December 2004_

Allison sighed softly as she gently lifted the ornament of a soccer player out of its box. "Remember when we gave this to Dexter? He was only eight, but he was so proud of being on the team and scoring that winning goal."

Standing by the tree, Norbert smiled and nodded. "The only time he got to play that season, and he showed them all." He was busy sprucing up the tree, putting the lights and garland upon its lush green branches. Normally, he would be doing this with his son, Dex, while Beary would be helping Allison with the ornaments, but this year just wasn't the same. Both their sons were gone.

The redhead gently placed the ornament on the tree, before reaching into the storage tub and picking out the next one, trying to hold back her tears. It was a beaded rainbow with two clouds. Beary had made it for her in kindergarten. Why, oh, why had she kept it put away in the Christmas ornament box? What had she been thinking?

"Is that Beary's rainbow?" Norbert asked, settling down beside her. "He put so much work into it."

"He really did. Such an artist."

"Mhm. That's for sure. And singer. Some of the picture he's sketched are rather… odd, though. Disturbing, in a way."

Allison scowled a bit, thinking about some of the images. "But some of them are quite beautiful. Amazing landscapes… architecture…"

"Dex has done some rather amazing things to, you know. Band, show choir, video game champion of the city, writer, hard worker, honor roll…"

"Mhm. I really am proud of him. Both of them." She lowered her gaze after putting the ornament on the tree beside Dex's. "I'm going to go bake a pie."

The balding man sighed softly, watching her get up and go to the kitchen. He stood as well, leaving the rest of the ornaments for later. He made his way over to the mantel above the fireplace, eyes running over the photographs atop the mahogany.

Pictures of his boys and family growing up through the years, laughing and smiling. Fishing, bike racing, family road trips, school events… Some of the older pictures held Dex glaring at Beary, but the newer ones over the past three years had both of them smiling broadly and hanging out.

Then there were the pictures from the wedding: Dex dancing with his girlfriend, Roxanne, whom he was now in witness protection with; Norbert and his wife at their table sharing a cup of champagne; and Beary and Jewel dancing away into the night. The wedding photographer had snapped that one, along with their kiss under the moonlight. That picture, however, had been stored away. The memory was too painful.

The last picture they had taken together as a family was before the reception, in the light of the setting sun, the sky alight with flaming colors. All were smiling. Beary stood a little off to the side, as he was just as tall as his adoptive mother, and just about the few inches shorter than Norbert and Dex. At just twelve-years-old, Beary was roughly 5'8½" and about 150lbs, making him rather underweight for a bear. He should've been about 200 pounds by that age and height. He had only grown two and a half inches in the past two years.

When they found him, would he be taller? If so, how much? What changes would be seen upon him?

What about Dex? Would he be taller? Had he stopped growing? Was his hair still spiky? How were things going with him and Roxanne?

Shaking his head, he backed away from the mantel and into the kitchen, watching his wife create another apple pie.

"Ally, when are we going to visit them at the _Hall_?"

Allison froze midst shaping the pie in the pan. For a moment, she didn't move, but swiftly returned to working on her dessert, her movements now irritated. Why hadn't they gone visit the _Hall_? When was the last time she had spoken to Henry? To any of them?

Oh, that was right. It was around Thanksgiving the last time she had spoken to them. Back when they were still in Utah and holding onto hope. Too bad that hope was gone now. It had been far too long.

They had gotten into an argument. Loud shouting, blame thrown at each other, and hatred towards the FBI for not finding the cubs yet.

It was partially her fault, she knew. She had lost her temper once again and spoken rashly to the bears, blaming them for what had happened. She never apologized. Why should she? Henry should have taken better care of her son, after all. Yes, she knew he had tried his best, and done everything he could, but the resentment was still there, ebbing away at her mind until it burst forth, breaking their relationship.

Next, she went for the cherries, mixing them in a bowl with sugar, cornstarch, almond extract, and red food coloring. Once satisfied, she dumped them into the pie crust and covered it with another layer of dough. Following that, she folded the ends over each other and slit the top in the middle, also dabbing a bit of cinnamon over it, sliding the creation into the oven. She set the timer and just glared at it.

"Allison," Norbert frowned, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her weary shoulders. "Talk to me, love. Why are you shutting them out?"

"You know why," she hissed after a minute, her shoulders tensing.

He dug his thumbs and palms into her shoulders, pressing in on the skin and muscle, trying to relieve her of the tension. Hearing her soft moan told him he was doing a good job.

"Oh, Norbert… Some things just can't be fixed. I… I don't want to talk to them again, because every time I see them or think of them, I'm reminded of my little boy. Both my little boys who were stolen from me."

He stayed silent, listening to her as he moved her away from the oven and to a chair at the table. He stood behind her, massaging her shoulders.

"I think of the _Country Bears_, and I imagine Beary talking about them constantly. Nonstop. Do you remember that? Every day, he'd tell us something he'd learned either of them or from them. As for Dex, he was always typing away at his computer, or out at his job at the grocery store. We barely saw him. He made the effort to be around us, but… Our little boy has grown up. Now he's out there on his own…"

"No, he's not. He's got Roxanne."

"And what do we know about her?"

"Well, she's John's daughter, and-"

"John?"

"Heh, Beary calls him Roadie, remember?"

"Oh, yes, yes."

"From what I've learned, she's a straight-A student taking AP classes and on honor roll. She and Dex met in class and, as they put it, hit it off. They've actually known each other a while and decided to date after the winter dance last year. She worked at a record shop selling CDs, along with some graphic design. They like the same music, movies, and books. They're basically perfect for each other." He kissed her head reassuringly.

"And where did you get all this information?"

"I talked to John and her mother about it, along with her siblings."

"Ah. I see." She closed her eyes and sighed softly. "I don't want my boys to grow up, Norbert. I'm not ready for that. Can't we just… stop time?"

"Many have wished that, but it cannot happen. You can store a moment of time in your memory and visit it whenever you want, but it will be just that. A memory. And that memory shall always be precious."

"Then it is a precious memory we cling to."

He smiled and helped her up, leading her to the living room and setting her on the couch. He then gathered up all the photo albums and sat beside her. "Come on, my sweet. Let's get lost in our memories. Soon we'll have a new addition to tell tales to." He gently placed a hand on her belly, kissing her lips.

"Mhm…" She leaned against him, picked up the first book, and opened the cover, being swept away down memory lane.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Jade Falco groaned as she awoke in her bed. Her head hurt like hell. Hangovers **_sucked_**. Dying of thirst, she got up, scratched her bum, and walked out of her room to the kitchen. "Tash? Tash, ya here?"

Receiving no reply, she remembered what had happened the previous day. Natasha had left with her family to go back to their lives in Nashville. She hated it, but it was true. Her friend was gone… and now the house felt so _empty_.

'_Might as well go get the paper,_' she thought to herself as she wandered out into the living room, not even noticing the three bears fast asleep on her floor. She went on the porch and stretched for a moment before bending over and grabbing the large newspaper. On the front page was a picture of the band entertaining the children at the hospital. She smiled. They actually looked happy in the photograph.

She scanned the article, sighing with relief when her name was not mentioned. The press was going to have a field day trying to figure out who she was. Oh well. They wouldn't find her, right?

The black she-bear walked back inside and went back towards the kitchen, letting out a startled yell as she tripped over some large, furry thing.

Zeb let out a startled shout and sat straight up.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!" Jade shrieked, looking at him, panicked. "Oh, it's you, Zeb. Gods, don't scare me like that!"

The fiddler blinked, staring at her curiously before quickly diverting his eyes and looking at the rest of the house, confused. Oh, right. They had spent the night because they couldn't go back to the hospital. They were supposed to have left earlier, before Jade got up. Oops.

Fred and Ted awoke to the shouting. Well, Fred woke up because Jade had landed on him. He looked at her, amused. "Comfy?"

She jumped away. "Holy crap." Briefly, she wondered if she was still drunk. Nah, couldn't be.

Ted scowled at his brother, quietly setting the photo album back under the table. "Sorry, Jade. We were supposed to be gone before you woke up." He stared at her with wide eyes.

"Why are you even here?"

"Well, we couldn't get back to the _Hall_… You see, we came with Al and Fred drove his bike, and since Al went with Henry so they could leave for Utah, well… we didn't have a ride back." Now that he thought about it, they could have called for a taxi.

"Why didn't you call a taxi?"

"Uh… well…"

"Why not go back to the hospital?"

"Visiting hours was over, and we had nowhere else to go," Fred put in as he sat up. "Sorry for intrudin'."

"No, it's all right. I just wasn't expecting it."

Zeb got up. "Well, Fred and I will be off. Ted, you comin'?"

"Um… in a bit. I promise."

"Hey, you don't have to go. If you want to stay for breakfast, you can." Jade got to her feet and went back to the kitchen.

"Uh, Jade…? Could you put on some clothes?" Ted asked, meekly. His face was red from embarrassment. He had taken her out of her clothes last night because she'd gotten some vomit on them. He didn't know where she'd kept her pajamas, so he had covered her up in a blanket and left the room, throwing her clothes in the wash along with his own.

She froze and looked down before looking back at the others, noticing that they all had their eyes diverted. Holy shit. She rushed back to her room and slammed the door, locking it. Jade breathed deeply as tears gathered in her eyes. How had she not noticed she was butt naked?! She was furious with herself. Just what had happened last night? Had Ted… No, he wouldn't take advantage of her like that, and she was pretty sure that the others wouldn't do that to her… right?

There was a light rapping at the door. "Jade? Jade, can I come in? The others left…"

She hurriedly wiped her eyes and sighed. "J-Just a minute, Ted." Anger began to boil within her as she searched her closet for some clothes, pulling them on and then storming over to the door. "WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?! WHY WAS I NAKED?! WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

He backed away with wide eyes. "Y-You got some vomit and beer on you! I-I-I took your clothes off to wash them! I didn't know where your pajamas were!"

She growled angrily at him before taking a deep breath. His reasoning was sound, but she was still pissed. "And you didn't think of telling me this **_before_** I showed off my stuff? I cannot believe you!"

"I didn't get a chance!" He had had a chance, but he'd been so captivated at seeing her beautiful body that his mouth hadn't worked at first.

"Bullshit."

"Jade, please…"

"Ted, just… shut up. Please." She was still fuming and completely embarrassed about what had happened. "_Was zur Hölle dachten? Wie konntest du mir das antun? Ich sollte dir die Haut lebendig! Sie denken, nur weil Sie einige heiße Schuss Country-Sänger sind, dass Sie alles, was Sie übergeben auf einer Platte zu haben! Wie weiß ich, du hast mich nicht vergewaltigen! Wie kann ich Sie jemals wieder vertrauen?_"

Startled by her German, which he did not understand, he backed away. He whimpered and looked down. "I… I'll just go."

"Don't bother coming back."

Ted flinched and he turned away, feeling his heart shatter. Without a word, he left the house, ears back and tears in his eyes. He never should have trusted his heart, allowing it to open.

He did not hear the soft, embarrassed weeping of Jade. Nor the angry rampage.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

_The night before…_

Tasha sighed softly as she carried Erin through the snow up to the porch. It felt so weird being here again.

The two-story home, painted a lovely emerald green with lighter green trimmings, had a wrap-around porch with a white railing. Inside were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large kitchen with red-stained oak cabinets and a marble counter, a dining room and living room, and two offices. There was a family room was in the basement, which was fully furnished with two couches, an armchair, a flat screen TV, pool table, and a few exercise equipment. It also served as a playroom, and the laundry room was off in one corner.

Memories filled her as she unlocked the door and went in, James filtering in behind her, carrying their son in his arms.

In her mind's eye, she could see a young Jewel running back and forth or wrestling with Beary in the living room. They laughed and romped about, stopping only when a much younger Jordan tumbled in. They then started playing with him, tickling the little cub.

She saw her and James sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace back when they were in their early twenties, with nothing but their lives before them. Their hopes and dreams… and now here, almost fourteen years later, most of them had come true.

James came to a halt beside her, closing the door and smiling. "Hm. A bit musty. I should have left a window open to air it out last time I was here. Sorry, honey."

The severely scarred she-bear gave him a small smile. "It's all right, Jim."

He blinked. "Jim? Since when do you call me Jim?"

"Well, I thought… I have a new face, you should get something new, too."

"Honey, you still have your same face."

"It's horribly mangled and scarred, Jim. I'm not… _me_ anymore. " She looked down at her daughter's sleeping face. "Erin will never see me as beautiful but a monster."

James frowned and set his son down on the couch, and then took Erin, placing her beside the sleeping cub. He then returned to her side and gently touched the scarred half of her face, frowning when she flinched away.

"Natasha… Ta-Ta, honey, a face does not make up a person. It's what's inside that counts."

"By saying that, you think I'm ugly."

"Gah! No, I don't! Stop putting yourself down, honey!" He pulled her into a hug. "You are beautiful, and nothing will ever change that. That scar? It adds class." He kissed her nose. "You are the most amazing person I know, and I will always love you." The black bear smiled softly and wiped away a tear from her eye. "And if you want… after we put the cubs to bed, I can show you."

Natasha could not help but smile and give him a playful lick. "This will be Erin's first night in her nursery… Jewel's old room." They had converted the front upstairs room, the one that had a bay window, from Jewel's familiar pink room into a nursery for their newborn. After all, Jewel had moved in with her parents and was going to be going to high school in Pendleton at the newly refurbished three level school; it had elementary, junior, and high school all in one building since the county was so small.

Just thinking of the cub she had raised, whom she still saw as a daughter, was enough to send her into a fit of tears.

"Easy… easy," her husband murmured, holding her close. "I'm sure Beary's taking good care of her. I doubt that video that was given to us was even true."

She snuffled into his shoulder fur. "You don't think he's dead, then?"

"I doubt anyone could actually kill him. He's one tough nut." He kissed her forehead and grinned. "Even if he did somehow die, he'd become a _Tueri_ and be watching over Jewel."

"Her own little guardian angel…" She gave him a sad smile. Sighing, she glanced over at their cubs. Jordan was currently curled up around his baby sister. "I'll take them up to bed. You go get the luggage?"

He nodded. "As you wish, milady."

_.~*~._

A short time later, after singing Erin back to sleep with a lullaby, Natasha "Tasha" Stone was curled in her bed, head resting on her husband's chest. She was grateful to be sleeping in her own bedding, with her turquoise quilts and pillows with just a dash of black fur. To make it complete, her husband was dressed in his usual pajamas: just a pair of gym shorts.

James lay on his back, propped up by a few pillows, gently rubbing his wife's shoulder and listening to the crackling of the fire in their fireplace. "So nice to be home in our own bed. No Jade accidentally walking in. Peaceful," he murmured, turning his head and kissing her hair.

"I know. It's been so long. Too long. I… This is my fault."

"No. You were depressed and hurt. Afraid. You had every right. You needed help while recovering. And you had the little ones."

She sighed softly, snuggling against his thick fur. "I suppose… But tomorrow, that all changes. I return to work."

"So soon?"

"It's been a few months since the fire, James. If I don't go back now, they'll fire me."

"Oh, yeah. That's right. Bunch of asses."

Tasha gave a light laugh. "That's management for ya, eh? We also have to get Jordan all set for school, and find a babysitter for Erin…"

"Hm. Well, we'll find something. We could ask Allison and Norbert."

"Now there's an idea. I haven't seen them in a while. Tomorrow, before I go to work, will go see them."

"Mhm."

She turned to look at him, running a claw down his chest. "Now, wasn't there something you were going to show me?"

James shuddered and grinned. "Hell yeah."

_.~*~._

"No."

James and Tasha blinked in surprise. "What do you mean, 'no'? Allison, we need your help!" Natasha cried.

"My sons needed your help, and you let some nutcase destroy this family!" she replied bitterly. It was one of her bad days. She had a headache and didn't want to be bothered, and yet she was here, standing on the porch in her robe.

"Now, Natasha had nothing to do with that! She was hurt, too!"

"Of course she was. It's obviously all over her face."

Tasha's eyes widened and she immediately backed down, ears flattening. What had she done to upset her friend so badly that she would be so cruel?

"Ally, that's enough!" Norbert barked, wandering over to the door and fixing his tie. "You know better than that. Natasha and James have always been our friends."

"They're partially responsible for what happened, Norbert!" the redhead snapped.

"Calm down. Think of the baby," he murmured. "Go and rest, Ally."

James let out a surprised chuckle. "You guys are expecting?"

The balding man smiled. "Mhm. She's a month along."

"Congrats!" the officer beamed, glancing over at his wife, who mumbled her own congratulations.

"And we're not letting this one be watched over by any bears." Allison gave them one last glare before storming off.

Norbert frowned and sighed. "She's just upset and has a headache today. Hormones and nightmares have been getting to her." His brown eyes focused on Tasha's face. He did find the scars unappealing, but she still held her beauty. Briefly, he wondered why skin grafts hadn't worked for bears yet. Maybe it was the fur?

"We tried the skin grafting. For the most part, it worked out," James explained, knowing what the human was thinking about. "However, it just wouldn't work for her face. We don't know why."

"I didn't mean-"

"It's quite all right, Norbert," Tasha murmured. "It's just something I'll have to get used to."

"You shouldn't have to. You still are beautiful, Natasha. The scars simply add to that. Make you a warrior, eh?" He chuckled lightly. "Now, I see that you need a babysitter. I think it would do Ally some good. Why don't you bring the little ones on in? I promise, they'll be in safe hands."

Natasha still looked worried, but nodded. They didn't have any other choice. She **_had_** to be back at work today. "Thank you ever so much, Norbert."

"You are most certainly welcome." He was as good as his word. Taking care of Jordan and Erin for the day really did help Allison return to her former, loving self. It did take a few hours for her to get used to the fact that there were cubs in her house again, but in the end, by the time James returned to pick them up at eight that evening, Allison and the little ones were baking cookies. Well, Jordan was helping her bake while Erin was getting flower all over her black fur.

Allison did ask to be able to watch them again in the future, and was granted her request.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

_January 2005_

It was already January 15th, and Tennessee was finally home. He would have been home sooner, but due to his injuries, he needed speech therapy and another surgery. Rather than driving back and forth, which took an hour each way, he and Trixie had opted to rent a small apartment in the city with a month-to-month contract. Thankfully, the price hadn't been too much, and they had been able to focus on his therapy.

Christmas had been quiet and lonely, and Henry and Al hadn't returned yet. But they returned for New Years with the news that Kenya would make a full recovery, that the bullet hadn't severed her spine, missing it by just an inch. There was still quite a bit of damage, but at least she could walk. She would be in rehab for about a month for her other injury to her chest and would hopefully resume deskwork within a month after rehab. Fieldwork would have to wait. The FBI wanted her back ASAP.

Kaspian was grateful that his little sister was all right, but he had been put on suspension for what he'd done with Cady. He was back at work now, though. He had managed to convince the FBI not to charge the base just yet, not until they had more information. He was taking the threat of the bombs in the base seriously. He had also learned that Dex and Roxi had disappeared.

Al had surprised them all when he'd brought home a beautiful she-panda named Faye Tality—Zeb had had a field day with that name. Even more exciting was the fact that Big Al was engaged to said panda. The two of them had explained how they'd met, fallen apart, and re-met years later. Everyone was enchanted by the story and sad to see Faye go on the fifth.

Ted hadn't gone to see Jade in over a month. He was embarrassed and hurt about what had happened, and was taking it out on everyone. Fred and Zeb had gone back to talk to Jade and apologize, but she still hadn't wanted to talk to Ted. Not yet, at least.

Tasha had returned to work at last and just in time before she would have been fired. Erin was settling into her new home quite nicely, and Jordan had returned to school. Thankfully, first grade wasn't too hard, so he quickly caught up. James was back full time at work, and made sure not to work on the days Tasha would be off; he didn't want her to be home alone just yet.

Allison and Norbert hadn't come back to the _Hall_, even though everyone thought that the humans no longer blamed them for what had happened. Apparently, that wasn't the case. Allison was going a bit mad knowing that she might never see either of her children again. The reasoning behind this was the incompetency of the FBI force. She simply could not believe that they had let Beary and Jewel slip through their fingers. On top of that, Roxanne and Dex were missing! So she was furious, and vowed never to come back, claiming that the Bears had destroyed her family.

Back to Tennessee and Trixie: They had come home just hours before and had put themselves in their cabin. Tennessee was taking speech rehab and would hopefully make a full recovery. For now, his speech was a bit raspy. Thanks to the therapy, however, he could at least make words.

Trixie sighed as she looked out the window. Her memory had slowly come back to her, and she remembered what she had done to her husband. She was miserable and didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure if Tennessee remembered what had happened or not, either. She knew she had to talk to him about it, but wasn't sure how.

"T-T'ix? Ya o-otay?" Tennessee wandered in, his voice shaking and screwed up. He was frustrated, but at least he could talk, even if he couldn't pronounce words correctly.

The golden she-bear looked back at him. "I'm… fine, Tenny."

He frowned. "No, ya nawt. Ta'k ta me, babe."

She looked down for a moment before gesturing for the bed. She sat down and patted the spot next to her. When Tennessee joined her, she turned to him. "Tenny… that injury to your throat…" She took a deep breath. "It wasn't by a dog… I… I did it… I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but it was me that bit your throat." She trembled, tears running down her cheeks. "I… I almost killed you!"

The memory rushed back and the brown bear frowned. He could remember her teeth in his neck, her anger, fear, sadness… It brought tears to his eyes. "T'ixie, it otay! I don't b'ame ya!" He ran a paw down her cheek.

"But I blame me! I almost ended your career! Your life! I attacked you!" Why was he saying it was okay? It wasn't! She'd almost murdered him!

"I fo'give ya!"

What? No! He couldn't forgive her! Not after what she'd done! She backed away, trembling. She couldn't understand.

He looked at her, confused. "T'ix?"

Trixie shook her head and whimpered. "I don't understand. How…? Why? Why would you forgive me?"

He moved closer to her, placing a paw on her cheek. "Becuz I 'ove ya."

"E-Even… Even after what I… What I did?"

"Of cou'se, 'ove. I wi' a'ways 'ove ya." He pulled her close and kissed her nose, staring into her eyes. His brown ones sparkled with mischief. "Nozzin gonna c'ange dat. I p'omise."

She smiled brightly and kissed him back, only harder and deeper. She needed him… so much. "I love you more, Tenny…" she murmured, lips pressed against his.

He deepened the kiss even further, his other paw raising up and holding her head close to him, his fingers tangled up in the hair. He pulled her back towards the bed…

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Jade sat in her computer chair finishing typing up the ad for the few convenience store windows she was given permission to put the paper ad in the window. She had her radio playing and turned it off when a _Country_ _Bears_ song started playing. "Bah. Don't need to listen to that crap. Not after what that… that… Oh, who am I kidding…?"

She felt broken since that fateful night that Tasha left; things had just taken a turn for the worst. She had had a fight with Ted, had been embarrassed… Had been seen, accidentally, naked in front of the band.

Jade felt alone and a little betrayed still, which was why the sudden idea of a roommate had come to her. She just hoped she wouldn't get a call from some slob or some creeper. Not that she couldn't handle it; she just wasn't in the mood to deal with them.

The black she-bear hit the print button and rolled her chair over to the printer and grabbed the papers that it flung out at her. She then stood, left the room and got ready, leaving the house once done. She decided on walking. It was a decent January day and the sun on her sleek black fur kept her pretty warm.

She put several of the ads up in windows after asking the shopkeepers for permission. She also grabbed something to munch on, as well as stopped a few time to give a few homeless men and women a few dollars that she always had in her pocket.

A few hours later, Jade placed the last ad on a message board and turned to walk out of the store. She then paused and frowned. "Oh, what the hell. Might as well get the groceries." She spun around and got a cart, marching up and down the aisles, taking what she needed.

A pair of icy blue eyes surrounded by black rings peered over the shelves of cereal. Black ears flat, silver and black hair tied back, the she-panda spied quietly. Was it really her former friend? She hadn't seen Jade in almost ten years, not since she "left" for China, where she had spent the next five years before returning to the States. But, she doubted it. Probably just another look alike. But that scent...

"Hm. _Frosted Cheerios_ or be playful and get _Fruity Pebbles_. Oh, the dilemmas that are me," Jade laughed lightly, grabbing both of them. She deposited them into the cart and looked up, jumping slightly when she noticed the eyes studying her from over the shelf.

The she-panda quickly dodged down out of sight when she noticed the she-bear looking around. She then hastily grabbed what she had come into the store to get—some pepper spray and pain killers, strong ones—and put it in her basket. She then proceeded to hobble down the aisle with her crutches, letting the loose clumps of silver-black hair fall in front of her face to hide herself. She was in a lot of pain at the moment.

Jade, frowning, shook her head and continued on her way.

And it just so happened, that they met at the end of the aisle.

Jade paused and looked at the she-panda for a moment. "Excuse me." Why did this she-panda look so familiar? "Wait a minute. Mysty? Méngméng Chūntiān?"

Méngméng stared at her, starting to panic slightly. If this wasn't Jade, what if it was one of Lì Měng's friends?! She'd turn her over! Eyes full of fear, she attempted to back up and it didn't go over so well as she tripped and fell, knocking over a stand of postcards. At least she managed to avoid falling on her bad leg and hip. "_Ō. Gāisǐ de._"

Yup. It was her. Jade shook her head. "Still the same..." She helped Méngméng back to her feet, crutches and all. "How the hell did you end up out here? Last time I saw you, you were in Los Angeles. And what the hell happened to you? You just vanished." She studied the she-panda curiously. "You should be in a wheelchair with those injuries," she laminated, gesturing to the large cast on her left leg and the metal brace on her right.

"I... uh... Um.." She was a bit nervous. "Car was how I got here. As for my injuries…" She became guarded and distant. "_Shìgù. Bìxū líkāi_. I'm fine, Jade. Don't need a stupid wheelchair. Got crutches."

Jade looked at Méngméng, wanting to argue with her, but thought better of it. She could see her friend was in pain and wanted to help, yet didn't. "Well, then… How come you didn't come find me and let me know you were here? I missed you, Méngméng. Or do you still go by Mysty? You left me and Tasha without a word. Just up and disappeared on us."

"I go by Mysty right now, please. I wasn't... aware you were here," she lied. Not meeting her eyes, she began walking, limping heavily. Damn leg. "And I had my reasons."

"Yeah. Okay, Mysty. Just ignore me like I'm not even here..."

Mysty looked back at her. "Sorry… I just want to get back to my car and sleep. Then search for an apartment and job."

The black she-bear's emerald eyes narrowed. What the hell had happened to her friend that now she has to sleep in a car? "Why the hell are you sleeping in your car?" Jade pulled the paper off the message board and handed it to her. "Consider this a better option."

"_Wǒ méiyǒu shuì zài wǒ de jū_," she lied again. Spotting Jade's glare, she repeated herself, this time in English. "I have not been sleeping in my car." She took the object and studied it. "But, uh... Jade..."

"Hm?" Jade went about loading the checkout with hers and Mysty's purchases.

"I can't stay at your house. I can't afford it."

"The hell you talking about?" Jade chuckled. "There ain't no rent."

"But on here it says there is..." She frowned. "I don't want any charity, Jade." She sighed. Living there rent free would mean she could focus on healing and getting the money raised to pay back her parents before her contract expired.

"No charity. That is what I gave that homeless man on the corner." She proceeded to pay, knowing that Mysty hadn't yet realized what was going on. She was worried about her. Mysty was a doctor. Why was she sleeping in a car? Why was she hurt? Why had she left L.A.? "This… This is a favor for an old friend."

Mysty couldn't help herself as she wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging her tightly, and then flinched at the pressure on her ribs.

Jade laughed and shook her head. "Take it easy. Just focus on getting better, you. Now come on. Let's get this out to the car, all right?"

"Thank you, Jade. _Tài xièxiè nǐle_!"

* * *

**So what do you think of Ms. Mysty Springs? Is she mysterious? Playful? What's your initial impression of her? Tell me in a review! Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter Two

.~*Chapter Two*~.

_February 2005_

Ted was completely miserable. Jade wouldn't answer when he would call, nor had she tried reaching him. She wouldn't even answer the door when he'd drop by.

The black bear wandered around his cabin filled with furniture he had built so many years ago, and felt lonely, oh so lonely. His home felt empty. Then again, it always did. Well, that wasn't exactly true. At one point, it had been full of life… but after Jade told him to leave her be, the hollowness returned.

Quietly, he walked out of his cabin to his workshop in the garage. He had been working on a small project since the beginning of the month: A rocking chair made of redwood. He was making it for Jade for Valentine's Day. He was almost done, actually. He'd have to ask Al if he could borrow his truck for the journey, since his own car was impounded again. Stupid parking meters running out of time. Bah on them.

As he carefully carved the pattern of a Chinese dragon across the headboard, a small tear trickled down his cheek. He missed her so much. Was she even thinking of him? Was their relationship over? Had she moved on? He knew he never would. He had fallen in love. Every night, he could remember her gentle kiss. The look in her eyes when they spoke. The feel of her fur against his.

Below the pattern, he carved _Te Amo_, which was Latin for _I love you_, in small letters. He wasn't sure if Jade read Latin or not, but it was the language of their culture, even if it was hardly used anymore. It was still beautiful.

Love: The word was almost foreign to him. Could he be in love? He'd never been in love before, not even with Esmeralda. Okay, that was a flat out lie. He had loved her, and when she'd left him, he'd been heartbroken. So heartbroken that at one point he had considered suicide. Nothing seemed to have gone right after she had left him. He'd been in debt, was alone… But then he had returned to the _Hall_, however briefly, and met someone who saved him. Brought him back to the light.

The next time he had returned to the _Hall_, his young friend was gone. It was only a week or two later, according to the dates, that Helen had been murdered.

Back to Esme. He hadn't listened to the others when they warned him that she was bad news, and he'd paid the price for it. She'd stolen almost a million dollars from him and left him at the altar. That was almost ten years ago.

And here he was again, heartbroken and hopelessly in love with Jade. Joy. Just what he needed. She'd probably not want to talk to him again anyway.

There. The carving was done. He put his hand tools away and sat in the chair, rocking back and forth a few times. Yup. Perfect. He just hoped she'd like it. Just had to smooth it out, stain it, and then drive it there.

_.~*~._

Jade blinked in surprise as she walked out on the porch that evening to check the mail. It had started to sleet while she was at work, so she had parked her car and entered her house through the garage. Mysty was in the kitchen preparing dinner, her hair all done up in a bun with decorative chopsticks through it. Her injuries were doing better, at least. She still had a cane nearby, but she was out of the walking cast at last. No more crutches. She had celebrated that day by making a large dinner for the pair of them.

Mysty had opened up a bit more as well, telling Jade that she had been "called away" to return to China with her family for a while, and due to the sudden notice, she hadn't had a time to say goodbye or leave a note.

Jade knew there was more to the story, but didn't press it. Instead, she reignited her friendship with her old panda pal. She was amused that Mysty still refused to have Jade call her by her real name in Chinese and briefly wondered if it had something to do with her disappearance.

Jade picked up the mail from the mailbox and blinked when she'd turned to go back inside. What was this? She approached the strange object covered in wet snow curiously. It looked like a rocking chair with a big red bow tied to it. Dangling from the bow was a soggy note.

How long had this been out here? The note was completely soaked and the words unreadable. Jade frowned and carried the rocking chair inside after pushing the snow off. She set it down in the living room, glad she didn't have carpet, and began to dry it off with a towel. The note, since it was ruined, she simply threw in the garbage.

Who would have given her such a gift? It was gorgeous! After she'd dried it enough, she cleaned up the floor and sat in it, rocking back and forth. It worked beautifully! She got back up and studied the carving in the wood curiously. It looked like it had been done by an expert craftsman.

Jade looked around her living room. Hm, where could she put this? It would look nice in here, by the fireplace.

She moved it over towards there and smiled. She just wished she knew who had brought it for her. Couldn't have been Ted, right?

"Hey, Myst? Do you know who left this on the porch?"

"Hm? Left what?"

"This rocking chair."

"No… Might have arrived while I was napping. Sorry, Jade. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Lo Mein, orange chicken, and rice, along with some fish."

Her eyes focused on the words carved in beneath the dragon pattern. _Te Amo_? She knew it was Latin, but what did it mean? She never took Latin classes in school, believing it to be a waste of time. Shrugging, she sighed and left the room. She was starving.

Tomorrow, she would go see Ted. The past two months had been hell for her. She missed him so much! She wished she hadn't sent him away; after all, it had just been a misunderstanding. He really was trying to take care of her, and she had yelled at him for it.

Zeb and Fred had come around and apologized to her as well, saying that they hadn't seen anything and that they were sorry for not saying anything before. They also explained what had happened that night, and how Ted had taken good care of her, cleaning her up and washing her clothes and keeping them out of her pantry. Mysty still hadn't met them, as she had been napping in her room after taking a few pain killers.

She knew they were telling the truth. Now she just had to apologize to Ted. Jade had rehearsed what she was going to say all day and just hoped he would forgive her.

_.~*~._

Jade pulled up outside the _Hall_ and parked in the lot. She couldn't see anyone around, so she got out and studied the area. It was beautiful, just like it was when she first arrived back in December. Had it really been so long?

She had wanted to bring Mysty along, but the she-panda had insisted on staying at the house, looking in the classifieds for work.

Jade walked along the paths and the long way to Ted's cabin, lightly knocking on the door when she got there.

Receiving no reply, she went around to the back, wondering if he might be chopping wood or something. To her surprise, she found him in the garage working with it instead. He used no electric tools, only hand tools.

Jade was fascinated as she watched him work. He looked so calm. So peaceful.

Ted sat on a bench, back mostly turned towards her. He was deep in concentration and didn't even notice her as he carved the wood—Jade decided it was Oak—in intricate designs with the help of a spindle. Once he'd finished, he turned off the spinning machine—the only bit of mechanics in the room—and picked up the board, taking it over to a larger piece. After a moment, Jade realized he was building a bench.

"There. Henry will be pleased that the new porch bench is finished," the black bear smiled. "Now I just have to fix the ones in the _Hall_. Can't believe Fred broke one just by sitting on it. Oh well, it was from the seventies anyway. Bound to happen." He flipped the bench up on its legs and sat on it. He then put it through a few tests, which included him jumping on it a few times. "Perfect."

Jade cleared her throat. "That's… um… beautiful, Ted."

Ted jumped a foot in the air and lost his balance on the bench, toppling over with a _crash_.

"Gah! Ted!" She rushed over and helped him up. "Are you all right?"

He didn't answer her question, shock in his eyes. "J-Jade!" Could it be? Was she really here? Slowly, he looked into her eyes. "J-Jade… You… You're here…"

She nervously smiled. "Yes, Ted… I'm here. I wanted to apologize for what happened. I'm sorry it took so long to get off my lazy ass and talk to you."

"No, Jade, it was my fault. I should have woke you and told you about it at least. I'm sorry."

She walked over and sat on the bench beside him. "This… is lovely work. Can you forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive." He cautiously grabbed her paw and gently squeezed. "But can you forgive me?"

In answer, she put her paw on the side of his face and pulled him close, gently kissing his lips. "Does that answer your question, Teddy Bear?"

He was shocked at first but quickly returned the kiss before pulling away. "I'd say so. Oh, Jade…" Just the feel of her lips caused him to give into instinct and kissing her hungrily. It was only moments later that Jade returned the affections with every bit of passion.

"I missed you so much." Another kiss.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." Her claws moved to his short hair, running through it and sending a shudder through his body.

"We… better stop… before we…" He kissed her again and again, finding himself falling into her spell.

"Oh…" she moaned, wrapping her arms tighter around him.

He pulled away again. "Let's… go inside…" he whispered. He picked her up and led her through the back door. He glanced at his bedroom for a moment, then into her eyes. Was this too soon? All he wanted was her love. Her endless love. He wanted to be there for her. Would she choose him as her mate?

Jade smiled softly, nuzzling him. All she wanted was him. She craved it! She stared into his gaze, silently giving him permission. Telling him she would love nothing more than to be taken as his own.

He smiled brightly and kissed her lips, carrying her onto the mattress and lathering her with kisses that she eagerly returned.

At this point, neither cared about the future, nor how quickly things had progressed. It was just them and this moment as they gave themselves to each other.

_.~*~._

Jade smiled lazily as she rested her head against his shoulder. "Mmm… Teddy, that… that was wonderful… I'm glad I waited." She had been amazed with how well their bodies had fit together, how gentle he had been, well, at least until she started being rougher and he'd retaliated. It had simply been _outstanding_. She was so happy. At last, she'd found someone to spend the rest of her life with.

He gently kissed her head and pulled the blanket closer to her body. Had he really done that? Had he really taken Jade as his own? He hadn't even told her that he loved her! Well, considering they'd just made love, would that let her know? "Jade, does… does this mean that… that you want to stay with me…? In my life?"

She got up on her arms and looked into his eyes. "Of course, Teddy. I love you."

Did she really just say that? That she loved him? Nah, couldn't have been. He must have been mistaken. "Did you like your present?"

She blinked. Why had he changed the subject? "Present?"

He blushed. "I made you a, you know, a rockin' chair."

Her eyes widened. "That was you! Oh, Teddy, it was beautiful! I've put it by my fireplace."

"Did you read the note?"

"No, sorry… The sleet ruined it. The ink ran and made it unreadable. What did it say?"

"Well, um…" He took a deep breath and recited it word for word. "_A long time ago, I was in love. I thought she was the one for me. But, she broke my heart and left me standing at the altar… I never trusted my heart again. I never thought I would love again. I was, and still am, afraid. But…_" He squeezed her paw. "_I met someone who changed me…_"

"You did?" She cocked her head to the side.

Ted looked directly into her eyes. He continued to speak, as if he had known what she would ask while reading his words. "_It was you, Jade. I fell in love with you._"

Her eyes brightened and sparkled as she smiled. She couldn't stop the tears forming in her eyes.

"_You brought meaning back into my life. I love you, Jade Falco. I hope you'll like this Valentine's gift I have carved for you. I've carved the words _**Te Amo**_ into the wood beneath the dragon, and it is Latin for _I love you_. Someday, if you'll have me, I'm willing to take a chance once more. Just once more. I hope to someday marry you, if you'll have me._"

Tears gathered in her eyes. Was he about to ask what she thought he was?

He turned over and reached into his night stand drawer, pulling out a small, black velvet box. He trembled slightly. Would she even agree? Was it too soon? Ted rolled off the bed and got down on one knee. He looked into her emerald eyes. "Jade… Um… What I'm trying to say is… Will you marry me?"

Jade squirmed over and stared into the box at the ring: It was made of two bands braided loosely together, with a gap between them for another ring—a wedding band—to eventually be seen. One band was embedded with five emeralds and patterned to look like dragon scales, and darkened a bit to add detail. The other a simple golden band. The two bands met at the top in the shape of a open dragon mouth, where there was a strange hole.

Spotting her confusion, Ted grinned and picked up another box, opening it to show her two wedding rings. One had a fire opal set on the top. "It attaches to the engagement ring to make one item. I… wanted it to be unique. Like you. I made it myself. Well, the mold. And then sent away for it to be crafted. I have a few skills, ya know."

"Oh, Teddy…" A million thoughts ran through her mind. Was this for real or a dream? If it was one, she never wanted to wake. What would her father say? He didn't even know she had a boyfriend!

Ted looked into her eyes worriedly. Would she say yes? Was her silence her answer?

She jumped at him, tackling him to the ground. "YES!" She kissed his lips happily.

A deep chuckle rumbled in his throat as he lathered her face with kisses. He gently slipped the ring over her finger. "It looks beautiful on you."

"Hey, Ted, you in here? Your back door was open, and I-" Zeb froze at the site of the naked bears on the floor of his friend and leader's room. "Holy…"

"ZEB! GET YOUR ASS OUT OF HERE!" Ted shouted, grabbing the blanket and covering Jade with it.

The auburn bear bolted.

Jade blushed, but couldn't help but laugh. "Guess the cat's out of the bag, eh?"

He growled slightly before looking back at her. "Heh, I suppose it is, Ms. Dragon." He gently nuzzled her. "Soon, you'll be Mrs. Bedderhead."

"That sounds funky."

"Funky?"

"Yeah. Like Bedhead. Yeesh."

"Well, if you don't like it…"

She laughed. "I love it, Ted. It's funky. Funky is cool."

_.~*~._

"Ya're gettin' WHAT?!" Tennessee bellowed, startled. He was furious to find out that while his daughter was missing, Ted had been out gallivanting around with some random tramp!

Ted growled at him, holding Jade's paw. It had been almost a two weeks since they'd gotten engaged, and were now ready to tell the others. Now they wished they had waited and denied it when accused by Zeb.

Speaking of Zeb, Ted had given him a serious talking to about walking into his house uninvited. Zeb had apologized several times, and it was only a week later when he began teasing them.

He wasn't the only one who teased them. When Jade had taken Ted home to meet Mysty, Mysty had grinned and started laughing, talking about how Jade was going to marry a famous singer and probably get songs written about her. Oh, and about the paparazzi that would probably follow them around, never giving them a moment's peace.

Jade sighed and rolled her eyes.

Henry smiled. "I had a feeling something was going on between the two of you. Never thought I'd see the day that Ted got engaged."

Ted sighed. No one other than Jade knew that he'd been stood up by Esmeralda at the altar. "Thanks, Henry."

"And he doz dis while Jewel's mizin'?!" Tennessee growled. "Ya azzhat!"

"Jade's helped me with not lettin' my emotions about Beary and Jewel's disappearance get to me. I'm still worried about them, but I'm not lettin' my life be ruled by it. There's no use frettin' over somethin' we can't help. There's nothin' we can do about what's happened. We can only hope and pray to the gods that they'll be returned safely."

Jade nodded. "He's right. The FBI are hot on the trail."

"You stay out of this," Trixie growled, glaring at her furiously. Sure, she liked Jade, but for her and Ted to get together during this time was infuriating.

"How about no? Soon, I'll be part of this family, if you can call it that. Y'all certainly don't act like one anymore."

"Guys, no need to fight. Beary and Jewel are alive, remember?" Zeb put in. "Soon they'll be home!"

"Mhm. No need to take it out on Ted and Jade, you two," Fred added. He looked at his brother. "You goin' to try for a cub?"

"Ted as a father? Are you crazy?" Zeb started laughing. "That's just plain scary."

Ted and Jade were blushing furiously. They both knew they hadn't used protection.

The other adults looked at them curiously. "Did you…" Fred began, eyes wide.

Zeb started laughing. "I walked in on them."

Not even Tennessee could help himself as he started laughing at the look on Ted's face.

Jade put a paw over her face. "Cubs. They're a bunch of cubs…"

Trixie glanced at Tennessee and sighed softly. "Speaking of cubs… Um… Tenny? Could I talk to you?" She had a paw on her belly and a small, but worried, smile on her face.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

_March 2005_

Faye sighed as she journeyed down the mountain holding her new daughter in her arms. Derek was beside her, holding the second backpack.

As they reached the edge of the forest, Faye turned to him. "Well, I can make it from here, Derek. Thank you. It… It's been great meeting you again, brother. I just wish we had grown up together."

He smiled back at her and cupped her cheek before pulling her in for a gentle hug, being mindful of the child between them. "I wish dat as well. Ya don't know how much I wish t'ings had been diff'ent."

A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she held him close. "I love you… and soon, I'm going to be married. I meant to tell you sooner, but it slipped my mind."

He looked at her. "Married?"

"To Alan… Alakalei's twin." She quickly told him her tale.

He smiled brightly at her. "Dat's 'onderful!"

"We're going to wait until you and Alakalei are free, though, to be married. You're the last we have of our original families… and Derek? I want you to walk me down the aisle."

He looked at her, shocked and surprised. "You… want me?"

"Yes. Of course I do. I love you, even though I barely know you." Oh, how she wished her brother would simply come down the mountain with her, but he had explained why he couldn't. That there was a tracking chip in his head, and if he was caught leaving without permission, him or Lei, the chip would explode. Well, he had said that he had a special chip that exploded if he left the city. He was allowed into the city, as well Lei, but to leave the city and mountain would bring death upon them. They were always being tracked. He never said, however, if Beary and Jewel had been given the chip.

Izzy purred softly as she woke up, looking at them curiously. Lei had sewn her an outfit and coat, but Faye knew she had to buy the little one some new clothes.

Faye smiled. "I better get her inside. Hopefully, I'll see you again, right?"

He nodded. "Goodbye, Faye… I 'ove you."

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Big Al sat on a porch chair, staring at the small spectacled she-cub wearing a little blue jumper, poofy coat, and a diaper as she ran around, giggling and playing with some of her toys in the grass that was just beginning to grow. She had slight panda markings in a light silver color, and the rest of her, sans the golden T around her face, was a murky brown. What was Faye doing with this child?

Al had come out to Salt Lake City for a visit, and found his fiancé with a young cub playing in the yard. At first, he'd thought this was the granddaughter or great granddaughter of the lady who owned the house that Faye rented a room from. To his surprise, that wasn't the case.

"Did you hear me, Alan? This is Izzy… Izzy Tality. Soon, hopefully, Izzy Williams," Faye said softly, brushing a strand of the little cub's brown hair. "Well, her name's Isabel, but I like calling her Izzy. It used to be Elizabeth, but then I realized she's more of an Isabel."

"But… where… how… did you get her? I don't understand…" he said slowly, scratching his head.

She frowned. She couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't tell anyone the truth. "She was orphaned in an accident," she lied. "Her parents were my friends, and I couldn't stand to see such a beautiful young girl suffer alone in the orphanage… So I adopted her. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, of course not. I just thought we was going to adopt one together is all…" He glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the she-cub. Izzy was rather cute, but a little nervous. '_I guess that was to be expected since she's lost her parents,_' he thought sadly to himself.

"I know, Alan, but I didn't want her going to a foster home. And… and I've always wanted a daughter…" She sighed. "Look, I'll raise her by myself if I have to."

"You don't have ta do that, Faye. I can help ya. Can… Can I at least get to know her?"

Faye nodded. "She doesn't talk much, but… approach her slowly, Alan."

Al got up and slowly walked over to the she-cub. "Hello, little one… I… I'm your new Papa, I guess." He sat down and crossed his legs.

Izzy flinched and backed away for a moment before sniffing him curiously. He didn't smell dangerous, and he sounded nice. After a few minutes, she crawled over, holding a little stuffed puppy in her arms. She continued sniffing him all over as she stood up.

He smiled. "I'm not going ta hurt ya, little one. Izzy." He allowed her to grab his paws and examine them curiously and laughed as she crawled up onto his lap to examine his face. "Having fun?"

"Mhm. You… Papa…?"

He gently cupped her cheek. "Yes, Izzy. I'm your Papa…"

Faye smiled softly and licked his nose.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

_April 2005_

Natasha sighed as she finished bandaging the child's knee. "There you go, little one. All better."

The child, a blind human nine-year-old named Marcus, had been running around, just wanting to be a kid while his mother was in the hospital for a after a car crash, and had tripped over someone's bag and fell against a metal chair, cutting his knee.

Tasha was almost grateful that he was blind. It meant that he wouldn't scream at the mere sight of her. Though her fur had grown back in places, in others it had not and it made her look like a monster. She was no longer able to work in pediatrics for fear of scaring the children. In fact, she was made to work in the back. So much for her doctor skills.

The black she-bear was miserable. She missed being out and about, communicating with the patients. The only reason she'd gotten the chance to treat Marcus was that there was no one else available.

"Are you crying?" Marcus asked.

She blinked and wiped her eyes. How did he know?

"You're presence is troubled. What's wrong?"

She frowned. "If you could see me, you'd know, little one."

"May I?"

Tasha nervously bit her lip and glanced at his father, who frowned but nodded. "Of course." She flinched slightly as he ran his hands slowly across her face.

"You are very fluffy… but also damaged. But I can tell you are beautiful, Dr. Stone," Marcus said softly. "I see nothing wrong with you."

Tears gathered in her eyes. How could he say that? That she was still beautiful? She was a monster. She was even considering leaving the hospital and going to work somewhere else. Somewhere where she wouldn't be seen by the outside public. Maybe she would become a telemarketer.

"Why do you cry? Why are you sad?"

"I'm a monster. At least I look like one. I have ugly scars on my face."

"You're not ugly. You're a beautiful bear." He frowned and felt her face again, his hands resting on her scar. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Sighing, she glanced at his father again, who gave a nod, and looked back at her patient. "Well, I was in a fire about a year ago. Last September. I fell into the flames. My husband rescued me, but I was in the hospital for a long time. It took several months to recuperate." She trembled. "My… my own son was scared of me at first. It took about a month before he'd come near me."

Marcus sighed. "Well, I think you're divine. You should cry tears of joy, not sadness. It's what's inside that counts, right?"

Tasha simply stared at him, eyes full of wonder.

"Marcus," his father spoke up. "It's time for us to go."

"Okay, Daddy. Smile, Dr. Stone!"

_.~*~._

Tasha was silent as she made dinner. She was mulling over what Marcus had said. Even though he was blind, he thought her beautiful.

"Ta-Ta? Natasha, love, are you all right? How were things at work today?" James asked, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "Mmm…"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Things went as they usually did. I was called into Emergency, though."

"Oh?"

"This blind kid skinned his knee, so I bandaged him up…" Quietly, she told him the tale.

"Smart kid. He could see what you really are even though he was blind." He pulled her away from the stove and into the living room. He set her on the couch and knelt in front of her. "Natasha, you are gorgeous and beautiful. You're a loving and devoted mother of our two little balls of fur. You could be bald and disfigured and I would still see you as my beautiful wife." James gently cupped her scarred cheek. "I will always love you, Tasha."

Tears gathered in her eyes as she leaned against his paw and nuzzled him gently.

"Mama, Mama!" Jordan cried, holding eight-month-old Erin in his arms. He wandered into the living room and upon spotting his mother, rushed over and handed the wailing Erin to his father before leaping into his mother's arms. He kissed her cheek and snuggled.

Tasha laughed and held her son close to her chest. "Mmm, Jordy. My little Jordan." She kissed his forehead and reached out towards her daughter, gently running a paw down the side of her face, smiling as she purred. "My little ones…"

She looked into James' eyes. "You're right… I shouldn't dwell on this any longer. My children both love me, and I adore them and you. And I've thought of a career change… I can work in the burn ward. Talk to the victims of burns."

He smiled and kissed her. "That's an excellent idea." He handed over Erin, who began to suckle on her mother's chest after Tasha had parted her button-up shirt, and moved to go out to the kitchen when the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" He listened for a few seconds, eyes widening. "W-What? Say that again… Yes, yes, I see. We'll be right down."

Tasha looked at him curiously. "What is it, James?"

He took a deep breath and stared into her eyes. "Jewel's been found… and she's about to have a baby."

* * *

**Drop a review! They help me grow and tell me what you want/need to know! :3**


	5. Chapter Three

.~*Chapter Three*~.

Jade smiled as she stepped out of her lime green charger and walked to her fiancé's cabin. There was a slight skip in her step as she jogged along the path.

She and Ted had been engaged about two months now. Sure, they hadn't known each other long physically, but mentally they felt as if they had known each other for a lifetime. She still had not told her father and was planning to in August when she was going up for a visit; Ted would arrive later in September.

Even though neither had used protection, Jade had not fallen pregnant. Neither was sure if they should be happy or sad about it. They had slept together a few more times since then, but had used protection. They weren't ready for a cub, and to bring one in at that point was just a bad idea.

Today, they would be working on the wedding. Sure, it was almost a year off, but it was best to plan early on. The reason they had decided to make the engagement a year was because they wanted more time to get to know each other better, and for Beary and Jewel to hopefully find their way home again…

Just the thought of the two cubs made Jade sigh sadly. She missed them dearly. Just the thought of what they might be going through in that place…

"Jade! Where are you goin'?" Ted asked, popping out from behind a tree.

Jade jumped a foot in the air. "TED! DON'T DO THAT!" she screeched, a twinkle in her eye. She started laughing as he walked towards her and picked her up in a hug. She kissed his nose. "Teddy, you're so weird."

"If I wasn't, would you still love me?" There was a sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Hm… Well, I've fallen in love with the egotistical jackass you, the Teddy Bear you… I don't think I could ever accept it if you were boring."

"Hey, I'm not a jackass…"

"Mhm… But you're still egotistical. At times." She laughed at his expression. "I'm kidding, Theodore."

He scowled at her and set her down. "Evil woman." He shook his head and took her paw. "Anyway, I wanted to show you somethin'. I know you're probably not gonna go for it, but I wanted to ask ya anyway."

She looked at him curiously. "Ask me what, Teddy? And take off those glasses."

He sighed and pulled off his John Lennon purple sunglasses. "Aww, but Jade, I like those."

"They make you look like Elton John."

"So?"

She shook her head. It was the same playful argument every time. "What did you want to ask me?"

"Well… um… I was thinkin'. What if we had the weddin' here at the _Hall_?"

She stopped and stared at him. "You're joking, right?" By the look in his eyes, she knew he wasn't. "Theodore, I am **_not_** getting married on a stage. Why would you even think of that?"

He scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, uh, I was thinkin' that, uh, since the _Hall_ is kinda where dreams come true… And it's beautiful, just like you."

She frowned. As much as she liked what he'd said, she couldn't go through it. It would just send a bad message: That she was only marrying him for his money. Already the paparazzi—or as Ted called them, vultures—were circling them. Some were trying to dig into her background, and others were trying to make it out to be some kind of scandal. Others poked fun at the age difference and the fact that Ted was almost twelve years older than her. Just because he was forty-seven and she was thirty-five. Honestly. Did they have nothing better to do? There were people out there with bigger age differences!

Ted's ears lay back and he sighed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to bring it up. Bad idea." He fell silent and shuffled along. It _had_ been a stupid idea, after all. He knew what was going on with the press. Now that he thought about it, Jade was right. It would just be something that the vultures would warp.

Jade watched as he shook his head and walked in silence up to the _Hall_. She followed him up the stairs to the balcony, and then to her surprise, onto the rafters. What on earth was he up to? The next thing she knew, he'd disappeared from sight. "Whoa, wait. Ted?!"

He poked his head down from a hole in the roof. "Yes?"

"What the hell…?" She hesitantly climbed up on the rafters after him and poked her head through the trapdoor. "Whoa…" She climbed out onto the roof carefully and sat down.

Ted chuckled. "Come on. The other side of the roof has the best view." He helped her up, holding her close, and walked over the crest and sat on the other gentle slope. "We built this for Henry and Helen all those years ago, before the band came together. Worked with our paws, not power tools. Well, yeah, we used tools, but not electric ones. They didn't have electricity here at that time, anyway. Could not afford it. But, we put our hearts into it. It became a part of us. It turned out magnificently—at least that's what Helen said."

Jade sat beside him, looking around in amazement. She could see over the tops of the trees and into the forest. Her eyes widened when she heard several wolf howls. "What on earth?"

He chuckled. "Didn't you ever notice? I suppose they've been on the other side of the forest. All that your eye can see, Henry owns. The forest that you see? I know you've asked about the high fence. Well, the last free wild pack of wolves lives there. Seventy-five acres of woodland for them to hunt on. The fence is there to keep them in, and keep hunters out." He then went on to tell her about how the pack was maintained and prevented from being too large. "They've actually just brought some new pups in. The winter… was rather harsh on the clan. Not many of the young ones survived. But the new pups have been adopted, luckily."

"Wow…" She was amazed. "That's just amazing."

"Mhm. All of them are fitted with microchips as well, as a way to keep track of them. That way they can still hunt normally. The radio collars tend to give off a low buzz that would have alerted their prey." He smiled softly. "It's soothin' to climb a tall tree near the fence and watch the pack. Helen loved doin' that."

"Everyone mentions her, but doesn't go into the details… I know she's Beary's mother, but that's about all I know about her."

He laid back and looked up at the clouds, lost in his thoughts for a few minutes. "Helen Taylor… Where do I begin? She's about one of kindest bears I've ever known. She was like a mother to all of us. When we had problems, we'd go to her, and she'd do her best to help out. She was full of love, taking us in and, in a way, being our mother. We all had our own parents, but she… She always made us feel welcome. Made the sun shine on a rainy day. Yeah, she had her problems—we all do—but she never let that stop her. She wrote songs… her greatest wish, other than to be a mother, was to be a singer."

"Why didn't she?"

"Well, Henry's company wouldn't take her on because of her being related to the CEO, which is Henry. And they wouldn't let her sign on with anyone else. Consider it rivalry. They knew she was good, and yet they didn't act on it." He sighed. "We were supposed to let her open for us during one of our concerts… promised her and everything…"

Jade looked at him, questions in her eyes.

"We were such pompous asses that we kept forgetting and eventually… she stopped bringing it up. So we forgot it." He closed his eyes. "You don't know how much I wish we could take that back, to let her live her dream. She never got to see it through before her death."

The black she-bear turned her sights on the sky, a soft sigh on her lips. She could feel the pain and love for the she-bear radiating off of Ted, and it made her tear up slightly hearing him talk about her.

After a few minutes of silence, she was startled when she heard him laughing. "You know, she even gave us all kittens?" he chuckled, a twinkle in his eye.

Jade blinked. "Wait. Kittens? Whatever for?"

"Well, Helen bred cats. No, they were not purebred, but they had Halloween colors. The mother, Candy Corn, was mainly orange with a black ringed tail, paws, ears, neck, chest, and muzzle. There was a bit of white as well, but for some reason, it wasn't much. She was an odd Calico. The father, Hollow's Eve, was an orange kitty with long fur. Their litters were gorgeous. Eventually, they got a couple more adult cats: A black female with a few white patches named Belle Notte, and a white with a little black tom named Star Light." He chuckled. "Helen had quite a lot of fun namin' them."

"Geez… Why did she have so many cats? And why breed them? Did she sell them?"

"No, she didn't sell them. She gave them away. She was very responsible about it, askin' the potential adopter if he or she would use the kitten for breedin' purposes, and if not, she'd take the kitten in herself to be spayed or neutered. And when they ran low on money, she would keep the parents apart in separate rooms to prevent kittens."

"Ted, that's all well and good, but why did she have them? It would have been a lot to manage…"

He frowned and closed his eyes. "They were her children, Jade. She couldn't bear any of her own at first, so she, in a way, adopted."

"But why adopt a cat? Why not actually adopt a child?"

"We tried, but we were listed as ineligible," Henry said as he walked across the roof towards them. "Sorry, I didn't know you were up here until just now."

Ted and Jade jumped and looked back at him, startled. Jade frowned. "Why listed as that?"

"Because of money issues. They feared we would not be able to handle a child… There were other reasons as well, such as family issues, the fact I was managing the band… Tours. Helen was devastated. But, you know what? She had Candy Corn to keep her company and happy. She loved CC. We both did. When we lost her, Helen was devastated." He gave a slight glare at Ted.

"Hey, I didn't know what she was plannin', Hen! If I had, I never would have let her drive." Ted looked down, clearly upset.

Jade blinked. "Huh?"

Ted sighed. "I told you about Esmeralda, right? Well… when we left the band together, she had a bit of a grudge against Helen. She actually tried runnin' her over. Henry got her out of the way in time, but Candy Corn… She had gone deaf in her old age, and had been crossing the road and hadn't moved fast enough." He had tried to get out of the car after it had happened, but Esme had sped away, taking him with her. It was only later when he had called that he found out about CC's death.

"That… That's horrible!"

Henry growled. "That bitch is damn lucky I got Helen out of the way… If she had hit her, well, it's very likely that Beary would not have been born and none of us would be here now."

"Helen was pregnant?! And that bitch tried to run her over?! Are you serious?" Jade was horrified at the thought of anyone being so cruel. To try to run down a pregnant she-bear? Especially one who had worked so hard and for so long to have a cub? Already, she could feel the anger in her reach the boiling point. Whenever she found this she-bear, she was ready to flay her alive.

Henry and Ted nodded sadly.

"If only I knew what she was goin' to do…" the lead singer sighed. "I'm still kickin' myself for what happened. I really am sorry, Henry."

"I know. It wasn't your fault. What's done is done…" He sighed. "At least she went quickly, that much we can be grateful for. Hollow's Eve died shortly afterward—vet said of a broken heart. CC had been his best friend…" he broke off.

At that moment, a large black SUV pulled up through the covered bridge and parked in the lot.

The trio crawled over to the edge of the roof and peered downwards. Who could that be?

Henry frowned. "Come on, you two. Let's get down there."

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Kaspian stepped out of the front seat of the SUV and stretched for a moment before going around the front of the vehicle. He opened the front passenger door and helped his sister out and grabbed her cane. "Easy, Kenya." His voice was soft as he glanced her over, making sure she was all right.

"I'm fine, you big worrywart," the brown she-bear with a white face complained to her black furred older brother. "Just a bit stiff. Stupid back. Stupid burns."

He frowned and gave her a once over. "Fine, fine. Are you sure you don't want your wheelchair?"

She gave him a death glare and he backed off. "Open the do—Oh, hello," she said sweetly as Zeb, Fred, Tennessee, and Trixie popped over, all rather curious.

"What are you doin' here?" Zeb asked. "Is she all right?" He was looking at Kenya, who had a rather nasty cut over her snout near her eyes.

Kenya growled. "I'M FINE!"

The auburn bear backed off. "Sorry."

Kaspian chuckled. "Easy, Kenny. We're here… visiting." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his sister's glasses, placing them on her face. "There, is that better now that you can see again?"

"Yes," she grumbled, now looking around and seeing just who all was there. She had recognized the scents, sure, but it was always good to have sight as well.

"Visitin' for what? Good news, I hope," Tennessee muttered, arm around his wife's waist, paw resting on her ever-growing belly. He could feel his child kicking within her.

"What? Can't we come visit for the hell of it?" Kenya laughed.

Tennessee sent a scowl her way.

"Ah, my favorite niece and nephew," Henry chuckled as he walked out of the _Hall_ with Ted and Jade in tow. "I see you're doing much better, Kenya."

"Not even a bullet can keep me down, Uncle," she smiled. "Being stuck in a wheelchair would have been just plain hell, but I'm getting over it. Soon, I'll be able to outrun Kassie again."

"Don't call me that," Kaspian groaned.

"Since when do you wear glasses?" Henry asked, blinking in confusion.

Kenya looked down. "Uncle… there is something we must tell you."

The rear door suddenly opened, slamming into Kaspian as a golden streak shot out of the vehicle and tackled Tennessee to the ground.

Trixie let out a yelp as she was pulled down next to her husband, moving carefully to make sure her unborn child was safe. "What the hell?!"

A golden ball of fluff was curled up on Tennessee's body, whimpering and trembling. There were gasps from almost everyone.

"T-Trixie, what are you doin'? I thought we agreed no wrestlin' in public. Not even the right kind of time for it," Tennessee complained, not fully aware of what had happened. He'd hit his head against the ground and was a little out of it. But, at least his voice was back to normal, except when he got tired.

"T-Tenny, that's not… that's not me…" Trixie said from beside him as she sat up.

"Huh?" He shook his head and sat up, blinking as the "thing" fell into his lap. "What…?" His eyes widened as he drew in the scent. That scent… He knew that scent! "Je-Jewel?" He could scarcely believe it. Was this for real?

Jewel looked up at him, tears rolling down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around his plush body, never wanting to let go. "D-Daddy…" Her stomach was killing her, but she thought nothing of it.

He sat there in stunned silence for a full minute before reality set in. His daughter, his beloved Jewel, was sitting in his lap. She was home! Alive! Tears rolled down his cheeks as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her face. It was only a few seconds more before Trixie joined in, crying her heart out.

A single tear trickled down Ted's cheek as he took in the sight. Fred was blubbering, Zeb was doing a happy little jig, and Jade's smile could not be wider. Henry, however, peered into the SUV, hoping beyond hope he would see another face. To his immense disappointment, the vehicle was empty.

Kaspian frowned, watching him. "I'm sorry, Uncle… We… We were too late to rescue him," he said softly. "He… We have to talk." He looked down, remembering the mess of the base. There had been almost two hundred corpses in there: Some died from gunshots, others died from slashes to the throat or broken necks. It had all been quite recently done and in a hurry.

The black bear was cursing himself for not moving sooner. If only he had gone up the mountain and stormed the base when he had let Cady go, Beary would be home now, safe and sound…

And not dead, lying in the morgue.

Kenya put a paw on his shoulder, gently squeezing. They both knew that they had to tell their uncle sooner rather than later.

The others then glanced in the SUV as well, and then at Kaspian and Kenya questioningly.

"Where is he?" Zeb asked. Where was his little buddy?

Jewel whimpered and moved her paw up to the necklace she wore hidden in her thick fur. Upon it was their wedding rings. She couldn't tell her parents. Not until Beary was home by her side.

Kaspian sighed. "He…" He glanced at Jewel, not wanting to tell the adults what he had found until she was gone. He didn't want her to know how her lover had died.

"He… He went back to lead them off," Jewel whispered softly. "To… to give Dex and Roxi and I more time…"

There was silence for a few minutes as everyone tried to register this in his or her minds.

"He… went back?" Jade asked, surprised but slightly proud of the young male. Even if he had been downright stupid.

Jewel nodded sadly. Kenya and Kaspian sighed and nodded.

"What's this about Dex and Roxi?" Fred asked, curious. He was not ready to accept that they might never see Beary again.

"Yeah, I thought they were in the protection thingy," Zeb blinked.

"They were, but somehow they found them. We're looking into it and have re-hidden them and their daughter," Kenya replied.

"Daughter?" Ted asked.

Jewel nodded, still in her father's lap. "Yeah… They got married, too…"

Tennessee and Trixie slowly got up, still holding their daughter close.

The baby in her womb gave a sharp kick and Jewel flinched against her father, who blinked and looked at her curiously, wondering what just happened.

Silence fell as they all looked at her protruding belly. Understanding slowly dawned on them. Jewel was pregnant.

Henry's mind went blank.

Tears rolled down Trixie's eyes. No, not her. This couldn't be happening! She was just a little girl!

Anger began to boil in his veins as Tennessee turned his daughter sharply towards him. "Who did it?"

Jewel flinched and whimpered. She could not tell them. They'd killed Beary if she told! "I… I don't know…" she lied.

Jade immediately could tell the young cub was lying, but did not say anything. She glanced at Ted worriedly. Jewel was too young to raise a cub. How had the pregnancy lasted this long, anyway? This was impossible…

Ted frowned unhappily. He knew that Jewel's parents would never allow her to raise the cub. He had a feeling he knew who the father was, but couldn't be sure. Either way, he had a feeling that Jewel would be devastated if she lost the cub.

Zeb let out a soft whine at the state of the cub he affectionately called _Lil Trix_. How could she possibly be pregnant? Her cubhood had been robbed of her. Then again, it had been taken from her long ago, when she was first taken from them. But now that she had a cub on the way… Poor kid.

Fred's ears laid back and he sighed. He was not quite sure what to think, but he knew things around here would be different. He just hoped Jewel would be able to take on the responsibility.

Jewel turned and looked at the others. None of them looked disappointed in her, but they did look upset. Her father, however, looked furious. "I'm sorry…" She fell to her knees and lowered her head. Fear was instilled in her, and she was worried about what he would do to her.

Jade's mouth got the better of her. "Jewel, I taught you way better than that. What in the hell are you doing kneeling and trembling?"

"W-Waiting… to be punished," she replied. After her rape, she was terrified. It had been so long since she'd been home, and she wasn't sure what they'd do anymore. She knew that Alakalei, Derek, Beary, Dex, and Roxi wouldn't harm her, but she wasn't with them and the fear was still there!

Tennessee looked at his daughter, at a loss for words.

"Punishment?" Jade blinked, confused.

"There's no punishment here," Fred said softly.

Ted glanced at Jade for a moment before moving a bit closer to Jewel and got down on one knee. He placed a paw on Jewel's shoulder and frowned, but wasn't surprised when she flinched away. "Jewel, kiddo, we aren't goin' to punish you. You've done nothin' wrong."

"I haven't?" She looked up at him curiously, still trembling.

"You're home, sweetheart. You're back at the _Hall_."

Jewel glanced around. So this was all real? "This isn't a dream?"

Trixie knelt beside her daughter and looked into her eyes. "No, baby girl. You're really home…" She gently squeezed her paw.

Tennessee moved in front of Jewel and knelt down as well. "You're home and you're safe."

Jewel focused on her father, a tiny glimmer of hope beginning to appear in her eyes.

"Kiddo, you're home with your parents and your uncles," Fred went on.

"We've definitely missed you," Zeb put in. "The sunshine went out in our lives."

Jewel fell forward into her parents' arms and she let her tears fall. After a few minutes, she spoke up again. "Ted's really with Jade?" She eyed the two black bears.

Jade started laughing. "Yes, Jewel. Ted's with me. We're actually getting married." She showed her the ring.

"I knew it! I knew you two would end up together!" Jewel started snickering.

Jade just smirked.

"Can… Can I go lay down?" Jewel asked meekly after a few minutes. Her stomach was killing her.

Her parents nodded. They put their arms around her and helped her on the way back to their cabin.

_.~*~._

"All right, you got us all here," Alan frowned as they all gathered in the _Hall_. He had just gotten home from the airport, and found out that Jewel was home as well.

Kenya and Kaspian sat down heavily, looking at the gathered bears, who were Fred, Alan, and Henry. Ted and Jade had left with the O'Neals and Ted was chasing Zeb around outside after Zeb had started teasing again.

"Where's my son?" Henry demanded, shaking slightly. Why hadn't they told him already?!

Kenya closed her eyes a moment, trying to hold back her tears. Kaspian, however, looked his uncle straight in the eye. "He's dead."

The silence was deafening.

"You probably don't believe us, but… we saw the whole thing," the black Hathworth went on.

This time, an explosion of sound met his ears.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Big Al snarled, being held back by Fred, while beside him, Henry also had to be held back by the large bear as he growled, "You were right there and did nothing to save him?!"

Kaspian held up a paw, sorrow in his eyes. "You misunderstand me." He glanced at his sister, taking her paw. They had never told their uncle or aunt about their… gift, even though their aunt also had this gift—or at least something similar to it. It was genetic, after all. Their father had it, as had their grandmother.

Kenya took a deep breath and pulled off her glasses. She opened her eyes, revealing that her forest green irises had now turned to a bright, glowing silver. Beside her, her brother's eyes shifted to the same silver.

Henry blinked in surprise. "_Vatem_… You're _Vatem_… All these years and you never said… We always thought that you never received the gift of sight."

"Not so much a gift as it is a curse, Uncle," Kenya sighed.

"It is because of our sight and the power that came with it that we were recruited into the FBI in the first place. You see… My sister and I share our gift. I can hear memories of a place, object, room, but not see them, while she is the opposite. When we hold paws, we share our minds and thus can see the full picture together. That is why we were recruited. They use us to see the past crimes. We can only see a set amount of time in a specific area, say about… six to eight hours in the past…"

Kenya trembled violently. "We infiltrated the base and… We found him… so we looked into the past and… We can't tell you what we saw. It was horrible."

"Let's just say… he's at peace and leave it at that." Kaspian closed his eyes, opening a few moments later, having them back to their normal color.

Kenya's eyes did the same.

"Please… please tell me what my son went through in his final moments… please."

"We don't dare. We ourselves do not wish to remember… That day we went to the base… We lost more than Beary. It was a slaughterfest. And then the bomb…"

"We lost most of our team, along with fifty other agents, firefighters, police officers, and paramedics," Kenya whispered.

Big Al thought back to the news channel and the story that had covered the explosion. If only he had known immediately that his family had been there.

Henry pulled out of Fred's grip, shook his fist at his relatives, before storming off, going up to the roof.

Kenya and Kaspian lowered their gaze and got up, leaving the _Hall_. They knew they weren't wanted. They had failed.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

"You're such a child, Teddy Bear," Jade laughed as they walked into his cabin.

"He got what he deserved," Ted smirked, holding her paw. He had just spent the last ten minutes chasing Zeb around and then hog tied him with a rope because the fiddler was teasing him and Jade again.

"You need a cowboy hat. You'd look sexy."

"Perhaps I will, lil lady," Ted said in his best Western accent.

She burst into a loud laughter. "Oh, Ted." She leaned in close to him. "You think we should have stayed with them?"

"No. They were clear that they only wanted a couple of us there. They needed Fred there because… I don't know. Henry will tell us when he wishes to." He kissed her forehead and led her into his cabin and to the dining room.

Jade's eyes widened in surprised. Upon the table was a candle, a vase of roses, and two wine glasses. Next to them was a bottle of honey. "Ted…"

He smiled and took her to one of the seats, pulling it out for her and then pushing it back in once she'd sat down. "I'll be right back with the food, love." He left the room and went into the kitchen, returning with two plastic trays with lids. He set one in front of her, and the other in front of his seat. He then lifted the lid revealing mashed potatoes, thick brown gravy, corn, and tilapia.

"This is beautiful, Ted…" she whispered, surprised.

"I wanted it to be special… for my special someone," he replied, blushing slightly.

"Oh, I sincerely doubt I'll forget this, Teddy." She smiled brightly at him.

Nervously, Ted began eating, and it wasn't until after they had finished their meal and had moved to the loveseat in the living room with their honey that he started to speak. "So, uh, how was your day?"

"Well, I went to work…" She curled up next to him, smiling and purring softly. After dinner, before they'd sat on the loveseat, they had danced a little. She was so happy.

"Oh. Well, I… worked in my shop." He had taken up a second job while the band was in hiatus. He worked on small projects such as building custom beds, chairs, tables, etc. It didn't pay as much as the singing, but it brought in money.

"Ooo, what did you make today?"

"A crib. Though, I suppose I should make another one now that Jewel's pregnant… Can't be long now until the little one is born, right?"

Jade nodded sadly. "Her parents will never let her keep it, though. They'll make her give it up for adoption."

Ted scratched his chin. "Maybe I'll ado-" He paused and looked out the window.

Jewel peered through it, a pained look on her face. She quickly disappeared.

"Jewel?" Jade frowned. She got up and set her glass on the coffee table. "I'll be right back, Teddy."

He nodded.

Jade sighed and walked out of the cabin, only to find Jewel walking away. "Jewel, wait a second!" She rushed over to catch up. "What's wrong, kiddo?" She could see Jewel was in pain. "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?" Was she going into labor?

Jewel shook her head, even though she knew it was probably a good idea. "I… I need to t-talk to you…" Was this even a good idea? What if Jade refused her?

"Go ahead, Jewel." She glanced back at the cabin, seeing Ted standing in the doorway.

The thirteen-year-old nervously bit her lip for a moment before looking back up at her longtime friend. "Jade… If… Well, um, you k-know that I… I'm pregnant… I know Daddy is furious… He won't let me raise the baby…" She put her paws on her belly, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Go on…"

"I won't give my baby up. But I'm… I'm too young to raise it… I always thought Beary would be here to help me…"

Jade frowned. Was Beary still alive? She certainly hoped so. However, by the look that Kenya and Kaspian had had on their faces when he was mentioned, she wasn't too sure.

Jewel took a deep breath. This was killing her. "Jade… can… Can you help me take care of my baby? I mean, can… can he or she stay with you? I want the baby to know who I am, but I can't take care of him here. Not with Daddy. I know he's angry, and I know he doesn't want anything to do with it."

The black she-bear blinked and looked at the she-cub in surprise. She was stunned. Jewel wanted her to raise the cub?

Desperation crept into Jewel's voice. "Jade, please! Please! I don't want someone I don't know raising my cub! Please!"

"Easy…" Jade pulled her into a hug. "Relax. I'll do it, Jewel."

"Th-Thank you… You have no idea how much this means to me…" Jewel stayed in Jade's grasp for a few more minutes before a new, sharp pain caused her to flinch violently. That hurt more than anything else had. She fell to her knees, arms wrapped around her stomach and she gasped.

Jade immediately knelt down and held her, trying to keep her steady. "Whoa, what the hell? Jewel, what's wrong?"

Ted came running and knelt down. He had Jade's car keys, having a feeling they would need them. "What's goin' on?"

"No idea. Jewel, kiddo, talk to us."

"The… The b-baby…" Jewel whimpered.

Ted's eyes widened. "J-Jade… She's bleeding…" He could see that her water broke, but where was all this blood coming from? There was quite a bit.

Jade's eyes widened. "Shit."

Ted immediately dashed off after tossing Jade the keys. He had to get her parents.

Jade panicked. "Wait! Ted!" She hoisted Jewel up, but set her back down at her scream of pain. "Whoa, easy!"

Trixie and Tennessee came running a few minutes later, eyes full of panic. They had no idea how Jewel had gotten past them… well, actually, they did. They had been in their room having private time. No wonder they hadn't noticed. Oops. They had even accidently grabbed each other's clothes in their panic after Ted had barged in on them.

Trixie skidded to a halt next to Jade and Jewel, dressed in one of her husband's sweaters. "Baby, what's wrong?!"

Ted arrived back, Zeb and Fred in tow. "She said the baby was comin'!"

Trixie looked at Jade. "How fast can you drive?" She could see the amount of blood and knew it wasn't normal.

"Faster than I should," the black she-bear replied, getting up.

_.~*The Country Bears*~._

Jade, Ted, Tennessee, Zeb, and Fred were currently sitting in the waiting room. Trixie was pacing around, Henry was nowhere to be found, and Kenya and Kaspian had already left hours ago for the airport. Big Al had gone with them to see them off.

Tennessee watched his wife. He was terrified of losing his daughter.

Jade and Ted were side by side, holding each other's paw. Jade was fuming a bit. After being pulled over for going almost 100mph, she had explained what was going on to the cop, who then escorted them at around 80mph to the hospital. Once they had gotten there, he had given her a pricey ticket.

Zeb, trying to lighten the mood, glanced at Tennessee and Trixie. "So, why are you two wearin' each other's clothes?"

The O'Neals fixed him with a death glare.

"I mean, you're already pregnant. What are you tryin' to do? Get the baby pregnant?"

"ZEB! SHUT UP!" Tennessee snapped. Just hearing the words "baby" and "pregnant" caused him to think of his daughter. His thirteen-year-old daughter who was giving birth.

"Aw, you're no fun."

"What's going on?" Natasha asked. She had just arrived with her husband. They had left their cubs with a last-minute babysitter. Unfortunately, Allison and Norbert could not be reached, as both were out of town. "What do you mean Jewel's home and about to have a baby?"

Sighing, Jade answered her, telling her of the day's events. "And that's how we ended up here."

Tasha frowned. That amount of blood loss wasn't normal. "I'll go check it out." With that, she left. She had already been dressed in her work clothes. She had to work again tonight, anyway, having offered to cover for a friend for a few hours. Might as well go in early.

_.~*~._

Tasha pushed open the door to the room Jewel was in. "Can I be of any service?" She was already washed up and properly dressed to be in here. She was still having trouble believing that her little Jewel was about to be a mother. How had this all come to be?

"Dr. Stone. Thank the gods," one of the nurses said, relieved. "We couldn't let the mother in here, mainly because she was screeching at us. Can you stand with the girl?"

Tasha nodded and went over to Jewel's side, taking her paw in her own. "Hello, Jewel. How's my niece?" By the amount of doctors and nurses in the room, she had a feeling that Jewel was in trouble.

The contraction had ended, but Jewel felt miserable and weak. She would only get about a minute of relief. She looked up and let out a startled shriek.

Tasha flinched. "Sorry. I know, I'm a sight. Got into a bit of a scuffle with a fire. I won, but not without a few battle scars." She chuckled softly.

Jewel looked at her, eyes wide as she took in the sight. "Aunt… T-Tasha… Is that really you?"

"Mhm. It's good to see you, little one. Heaven knows how much I missed you. But we'll catch up later. On the next contraction, push, okay? Push hard." She looked at the other doctor for confirmation.

He nodded. "That's right. Give us a big push."

Jewel clenched Tasha's paw tightly as the contraction hit. She felt so weak, and her grip on her aunt's paw quickly lessened.

"Shit. SHIT!" the doctor swore as the stream of blood exited the cub. "Come on, Jewel. One more push! Nurse, get something to clean up the blood. Get those bags of blood up here, stat!"

A nurse quickly darted off.

Jewel gave another push, screaming her head off. Something felt wrong. It hurt so much! "I hate you, Beary! F- you!" she cursed. Had she known this is what it would feel like, she wouldn't have wanted a baby. She continued cursing loudly, using words that her aunt had never heard her use before.

Tasha's eyes fell on the monitor as she gave a nervous whimper. "Come on, Jewel. Just hang in there, baby girl. It'll be all over soon…"

The infant was stuck. It wasn't moving any further. Jewel simply no longer had the strength as her eyes rolled back and she fell into darkness.

"Jewel!" Tasha cried, gripping her paw.

"Crap. Scalpel! We'll have to do a C-Section!" He immediately started to work on it, and it was only minutes later that he let out another curse. "It's not there! Must be caught in her pelvis!" He had her stitched back up and then reached in between her legs, carefully grabbing hold of the trapped infant. He gently began to pull him out. "Almost there…"

The infant was stuck good and tight, somehow turned the wrong way, but after a few minutes, the doctor managed to free him, pulling him out onto the table, along with a fresh wave of blood.

Quickly cutting the umbilical cord that had wrapped around the newborn's neck, he took the infant over to the incubator and with the help of a nurse, tried to resurrect him. "Come on! Come on! Your mother put up one hell of a fight to deliver you, don't you dare die!" he growled.

Over at the bed, the nurses followed Natasha's instructions as she tried to stop the bleeding. "Don't you die on me, Jewel!" she growled. "WHERE'S THAT BLOODY NURSE WITH THE NEW BLOOD?!"

The other nurses flinched. "There must be something wrong at the bank, Doctor. She'll be here as quickly as she can," one of them boldly said.

"That's not fast enough! Jewel will die if she doesn't get it!"

Jewel's breathing was going faster and faster as she went into V-Fib.

Tasha snarled. "Get the damn defibrillator!" When it was brought to her, she counter-shocked. "Don't you die. Don't you dare die!"

The other doctor, Dr. Page, worked furiously on the newborn. "Come on, little one." He administered oxygen to its lungs, and smiled as the color returned. He smacked its bottom.

As the cries of the newborn infant filled the room, the heart monitor suddenly sounded off a dull, flat tone as the line ran flat.

* * *

**Drop a review! They help me grow and tell me what you want/need to know! :3 Even if you did not like it, I like to hear from my readers. [for one thing, they let me know I am not wasting my time uploading these stories]. **

**Thanks for reading! Next chapter out soon! I am trying my best to keep a few chapters ahead of my updates, so that way I always have a chapter to upload. However, due to school and making corrections - no one's perfect - it may take me an week or two to upload.**


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